Fruitland shuts down Baker
Monday, December 15, 2008 10:16 AM PST
Argus Observer sports staff
Fruitland—Matt Stanger’s double-double — 20 points and 11 rebounds — led the Fruitland Grizzlies boys basketball team to a 62-45 win over the visiting Baker Bulldogs (4-1) Saturday in Fruitland.
The Grizzlies began the game with a 13-7 run, thanks to the sharp shooting of Ty Pena who canned three two-point fieldgoals and a trey. Pena finished the game with 12 points.
Fruitland expanded its lead in the second quarter with a 20-12 output and led at the break 33-19. In the second quarter Stanger accounted for seven points while Devin Decroo added five.
Things did not get any easier for the Bulldogs in the third as Fruitland outscored them 19-8 to take 52- 27 lead, as a host of Grizzlies logged points on the score sheet.
With the game in hand, the Griz coasted to a victory despite being outscored in the final stanza 18-10.
Fruitland shot 55 percent from the field in the win to Baker’s 36 percent. Leading the Bulldogs was Derek Blankenship with 10 points. Baker came into the game on a four-game winning streak with wins over Nyssa (65-58 OT), Weiser (48-44), Pendleton (69-64) and Burns (67-56). In those wins the Bulldogs were averaging 62.2 points per win.
The win improved the Grizzlies record to 4-1 on the season. The Grizzlies other wins have come against La Grande (53-48), Columbia (66-57) and Melba (43-37). Their lone loss was against defending Idaho 4A state champion Burley (66-60).
Fruitland will be in action again at 7:30 p.m. at Columbia High School.
Jordan Valley 71, Prairie City
Jordan Valley
The Jordan Valley Mustangs improved to 6-0 with a pair of wins over the weekend. On Friday, the Mustangs defeated Monument-Dayville 75-36, and Saturday knocked off Prairie City 71-47.
It was a productive game against Monument-Dayville,” Jordan Valley head coach Mike Workman said. “We started out real sluggish, but we got things going in the second quarter and pulled away from them.”
In the two games, the Mustangs were led by Zac Filmore with 48 points in the two games, Koehl Trautman who scored 18 points.
“Against Prairie City we played very good in spurts. We would get up and let down and let them make a run at it,” Workman said. “We could never put them away.”
Jordan Valley will be in action at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Harper.
